Blossoms and Vines
by Gunslingers-White-Rose
Summary: What is on your mind? Is there something that is bothering you? No, it's alright. There is nothing wrong, right? We're only doing what needs to be done, right? In the end, the ends justify the means, right? The Teachings of the Mother will forgive you, right? (Faye or Elfie aren't in the character list, so I'm gonna use Fae until she's actually added to the list. Sorry.) AlmXFaye
1. Flostym 6, 401 VC

**AN:** **I have always been a fan of stories that try to stay faithful to the themes of the times they take place in or what they are based off of. Like A medieval story having themes and settings from that time. Or a victorian era story that actually acknowledges and takes on the themes of those times.**

 **So, since this does take place in Medieval times, it will have themes that coincide with that time. Like religion, how it can effect some people, how it can influence people, some gender roles and struggles to go along with it. I'm wanting to make it more... real. Believable. Like how in the game it tackles issues about class systems, noble and peasant. Even some teachings of Mila and Duma, though there isn't a lot. So I want to delve into those topics, about the Faith of both sides. If you don't like that to much, I'll see about dividing up those sections with special markers so you can skip them, alright? But don't be surprised when you end up seeing them here and there in the story, beyond just the full parts. But I'll try not to make them too obnoxious.**

 **So, enjoy!**

 **~*...*~** Will divide the more religious parts of the story.

…

 **Blossoms and Vines**

 **...**

 _ **Flostym, 1, 394 V.C.**_

 **~*...*~**

" _Let us pray." The minister spoke behind his podium, the whole town was there in the chapel for the new year, women wearing their best dresses, men wearing their best waist coats and pants. Children were dolled up and everyone had their hands folded, heads bowed and cheeks rosy from the heat of the many candles around the chapel._

" _Lady Mila, divine deliverer,_

 _Hallowed name and blessed light,_

 _Thy kingdom flourish,_

 _Thy word spoken and done,_

 _On the earth and as it is in your presence."_

 _The people echoed the prayer, some children stumbling on the words. Little Faye in the front row with her mother, father and baby sister was screwing her eyes shut as she echoed the prayer. She tried to listen to the minister, since she and her family didn't have the money or privilege of school. No reading._

 _So she had to listen carefully so that she could remember. It may be a long time before she hears this part of the Book of Mila._

" _Amen." The people echoed again. "You may be seated." The minister spoke as he opened the old Book of Mila on the podium reverently. The people sat on the pews, most finding a seat while people stood off to the sides and some in the back. "Today is the day our year starts anew. Mila has granted us another year, another bountiful harvest and another day for us to enjoy and be thankful for her gifts." He smiled jovially, "so today, we will welcome young Kliff to the podium to read today's passage. His family was blessed enough to be given the chance to send their child to school so that he can improve himself and bring his family up to a higher status."_

 _Every began to applaud the young boy, along with the minister, as he stood and slowly walked along the aisle. A few of the other children gave Kliff a thumb up and encouraging words, making the boy even more nervous. His parents sat together with his younger brothers, looking prideful in this moment. Any chance to advance one's status was one to be cherished._

 _Kliff stood at the podium, a stool being brought out so he could stand and see over the podium. He gulped, his eyes going wide at seeing all of the faces of the town looking up at him. He took a deep breath, looking down at the Book of Mila, trying to focus on the words before him._

" _A… A r-reading from the… the letters of Saint Anthiese." He glanced up and looked up around him, the people still looking up at him. The minister smiled softly at him and nodded, urging him to continue. Kliff swallowed and continued. "'I will… d-destroy the… wis… wisdom of the wise, and the cleave… no… clever…ness of the clever I will set aside.'" Kliff glanced again, seeing how even though he made mistakes, the people were fine with the words of Mila reaching them by another person. He nodded to himself, focusing on the words. For that is what his family wanted. "For where is the wise man?" A new strength came to him as he spoke the words of Mila, even though he didn't understand them yet. "Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not Mila made foolish the wisdom of the world? It is her tea-teachings that give us our strength, her gifts that make us equal in her eyes. It is through her that man can stand beside their friends and continue to work another day. That the status of their birth is nothing compared to the gifts she had bestowed upon the people."_

"' _Though many wars have been fought amon…amongst ourselves, it is through her teachings that we can find the steng…strength to come together. Not the wise words of the nobles and bankers who rule your lands.' And so it is written that your actions of sloth in the preen…pray…presence of Mila shall be judged, for you spit upon the gifts of Mila. It is through our actions that we can work towards a better comm…commune…community, than listening to the words of the so called 'wise' that sit upon their ho… hoards and do nothing."_

" _On the earth and as it is in your presence, the final line of the prayer to Mila. For it tells us to act as Mila would, to step on the earth of our homes as we would in her presence. Do onto others as you would, for self-sacri…sacrifice and duty is blessed by the Mother. There is nothing more noble and celebrated than a person who sacrifices their happiness, their livelihood and their wealth for the benefit of others."_

" _For that is the teaching of the Mother. Amen."_

 _Kliff let out a breath as the people chorused with their own, "amen," and they clapped their hands with the minister. He let out a shaky smile as he jumped down from the stool and made his way back to his family. Happy to do something to bring his family up in the eyes of the people._

 _Faye had been enraptured, the words of the Book of Mila had made a resonance inside of her. She imagined Saint Anthiese writing these words, her wisdom and guidance… She wanted to be like that._

 **~*...*~**

 _ **Flostym, 6, 401 V.C.**_

…

He's serious, she thought as she watched Alm speak with the soldier, Lukas. Alm wants to leave the village and join the Deliverance? The year has only just begun…

Gray and Tobin are going along too, her friends separating... They couldn't... She shook in place, blending into the small crowd who gathered near the entrance of the village. Memories of her only encounter with outside forces beyond the village came forward.

She saw in her mind's eye the same knights who had attacked them in the past. She was reminded of that day; how close they came to being killed and her and Celica... They're girls, at the time she didn't know why that made a difference. Why being a girl was so dangerous when outside the protection of the walls of the village. Well, she understood now and that made the memory even more terrifying to her.

He's alive out there, and if Alm leaves to fight in the war, what if they see him again? What if they see Slayde again?

She wrapped her arms around herself; her mind transporting her to that day in the forest all those years ago. She remembered the faces of those knights, of Slayde, as they spoke about wanting her and Gray's sister. About their fun.

Then she remembered when her, Alm, Gray, Tobin and Kliff had dog piled and grabbed the knives they carried while they stabbed one of the Knights over and over and over and over...

War means that. War means killing people. War means seeing the worst parts of people. War is nothing but sorrow.

She just wanted to stay in the village, away from the fighting. She wanted to stay by the hearth at home and sit in her favorite chair, knitting the day away and helping her mother with dinner, waiting for her father to come home and to hear him asking when she was going to accept the marriage proposals that he's been propositioned.

Home.

Normalcy.

Fire.

Peace.

Family.

She let Alm leave to go and find his grandfather, she was rooted to the spot as she tried to get her mind from the memories of the past.

Stay home. Stay with your parents, don't leave the village. War is not meant for women, women should stay home and be protected. Women and men have their places, and hers is at home to wait for the men to come back from war as society dictates.

But it's Alm.

Can she really let him leave like this? What if he dies out there and she never knew? She doesn't have a claim on him, so why would they come and tell her if he died in the war? Sure, his mother and grandfather are here but still...

Can she truly just go back to her home and continue on like nothing has changed while all her friends go off to war? Can she dare to be like Saint Anthiese? The queen who gave up her crown to serve in the priory and to be a direct servant to the Mother? To give up her role in life to pursue something bigger than her?

But he'll most likely be out there, Slayde.

But her friends...

Slayde...

Friends...

Nothing will be the same again, she'll be all alone here without anyone her age here. She had to...

She didn't know if she could. She didn't know if it was possible, she didn't know if she can do that.

Can she willingly go into war with her friends? Can she swallow her fears and fight and most likely kill people? Can she become just like Slayde?

She closed her eyes and clenched her hands before her, quick breaths coming through her nose as she deliberated what to do.

War is not for women. War is not filled with the comforts of home. War is not a game. War is...

Women are like delicate blossoms, away from the ground and held to a higher standard than the grass below them. They had to be tended to with care lest they break with the smallest of touch. They are fragile, delicate and pure. Meant to be kept in a gated garden away from others.

Unlike the vines along the fences that creep their way upwards, in a perpetual chase for something higher than they were given. Vines are strong, like men, as they protect the garden and show a strength of their own; not needing to be tended to. Like him…

Alm...

War is worth Alm.

Saint Anthiese set off to serve Mila because it was her duty to serve the Mother of her own volition. She's going off to serve in war for someone she cares for. It isn't the same, but she does want to help…

She took a deep breath; her vision had been clouded while she had been standing there in the entrance of Ram village. A wind had cut through, rustling the trees and their branches, the sounds and smells of the forest wafting through to her as she was reminded of home.

The scent of oranges, of fresh cut wood, of fresh manure on the fields and lunch being prepared over the hearths of the homes around her. This is home.

She can fight to keep her home safe. She can remember this, the scent and feel of Ram Village. This is something worth protecting.

Alm is worth it, he had been there to save her all those years ago, he had been the one to start his training with Mycen, he had been the first one to change from child to adult. He is her friend, he is the object of her love...

She can swallow her fear to force herself to get up and go to war.

So, when Alm came back to the entrance of the village to speak to Lukas, she had run up to Alm and spoke to him.

She told him that she was going to join them. She wasn't going to accept a no and that was the end of the discussion!

She is terrified, she doesn't want to kill anyone, she doesn't want to leave and possibly get killed or wish she was killed. But her home is in danger, Alm could be in danger.

So even though she is a woman and women have no place outside the home... She'll do it.

And she'll make sure she doesn't show her real feelings, no one needs an emotional woman in the army. But a soldier who doesn't complain and willingly fights with no concern for their own feelings and fears?

That's something she can do.

Even though her chest tightens and makes her stomach churn when she sees Alm take out the amulet he had been given to by Celica and held it with an almost loving reverence.

…

It had been a few days since they left the village. Alm, Lukas, Tobin, Gray, Kliff and her made up their party.

They weren't even in the war yet and she already wanted to go home. Her feet were tired, her hands ached from using the sword she had and her mind was already beginning to break. She killed five people. Five people are dead because of her. Their blood is on her hands, they wouldn't smile again, redeem themselves and go back to their families, their lives were cut short because of her.

But if she didn't kill them, they would have killed her. She had a choice to make and she chose to end their lives. But isn't murder one of the greatest sins against the Mother? Did that make her dirty? Did that make her a nonbeliever now? Is she not good enough for her own faith now?

She had been sitting by the campfire, Gray and Tobin had gone off to hunt for food while Lukas tended the fire. Kliff had been patrolling the camp while Alm had finished up with the tents. She had been preparing the broth for dinner, waiting for the men to return with their dinner.

She had been jolted from her thoughts when Alm had taken a seat by her, letting out a breath of relief as he took the time to sit down for the first time that day. "Man, my legs are killing me." He groaned, stretching his legs and letting the bones crack.

Lukas chuckled to himself, adding another log to the fire carefully so the cinders don't hit Alm and Faye. "Well, we still have a lot longer to go, I'm afraid. We're about halfway to the southern outpost, so we'll have to stick together just a bit longer." He sniffed the broth Faye was stirring and left a small smile come on his face. "The broth smells divine, Lady Faye."

She attempted to put a smile on her face, but it was tight and seemed a bit strained. "Thank you, Sir Lukas. Though it is only what I could scrap together from what meager ingredients we have."

"Even still, we all thank you for your skills." Lukas spoke amicably as he went back to tending the fire and soon leaving to chop some more wood for the night.

Faye thought she had been able to hide her emotions and her distress, but she should have known Alm would see through it and ask her about it. Like he did the moment Lukas was gone from earshot.

"Hey, Faye?" He spoke, causing her to make a small noise in acknowledgment as she stirred the broth, waiting for the meat to come by soon, hopefully. "Are you ok? Are you feeling any shock from the battles?" He asked, somehow knowing why she had been so quiet since starting camp.

She sighed then put a smile on her face, much less force this time and more genuine since it was Alm she was smiling at this time. "No! Don't worry about me Alm! I'm doing fine, so just worry about getting your rest." She had waved off his concern, since she knew he must be feeling worse than she. He was away from the only family he had ever had without even having the chance to say goodbye. He wouldn't want to hear about her troubles. Whatever she is feeling, he must be worse. As with the teachings of the Mother, care others before thyself. ' _On the earth and as it is in your presence._ '

Alm sat up, trying to get a better look at Faye. She is one of his friends, so it pains him to know if there is something wrong with her or with any of them. "Are you sure? It's okay to be…" He trailed off.

Faye shook her head and waved it off, "It's fine, Alm. And tomorrow when we end up fighting more enemies, just point me in the right direction. I'll fight and slay any enemies you tell me to!" She smiled again and went back to cooking, especially since Gray and Tobin had come back with a few rabbits for the stew. With her back to him and her mind occupied with the makings of dinner, Alm was left to his own thoughts.

Last he recalled, Faye was one of the more devout followers of the Faith, attending every mass on every seventh morning. He paused as he watched her, seeing how her smile had changed. She had seemed more… real? Real, yes. She seemed more real with her smile when they spoke just a moment ago, but now… It felt different.

Could it be because the fighting goes against the Faith? One of the commands of Mila was that one should not kill, so maybe that was eating her up? Of course it would, with how devoted she is it must be agony. That and she was… well… Grandpapa always told him to never underestimate someone because of their sex but… She sewed, she cooked, she did all the things that women usually do in the village. Sure, she trained with Grandpapa, but in the end…

If she was this distressed, would have been a better idea to just have her stay at the village? Today had been the seventh morning, and she had been working and fighting. The commands of Mila had forbid work on the seventh days, and here Faye was, breaking another command of the Mother.

And when he tried to speak to her, she just waved it off and kept on going. Smiling and keeping her sunny personality.

Usually when he's around her, he can smell the scent of oranges from the village. That or the fresh orange blossoms and the scent of home cooked meals and fresh bread.

But at the moment, it felt off. She didn't have anything on her. She looked the same and acted the same, but he didn't get those vibes from her anymore.

It felt… empty.

And it made him want to fix it.

…

 **AN: Does anyone know how the calendar works in this game? I'm assuming it's the same length of year as us, 365.25 days. But there is only four months that I have seen. Flostym 92 days, Avistym 91 days, Pegastym 91 days (92 days every leap year) and Wyrmstym 91 days. And that's assuming the length of the year is the same as ours. I know Flostym is first since in Act 5, it's the one of the four that shows to have the changing year with Wyrmstym as last as the last month to happen before the year change. Avistym comes after Flostym according to the Flostym of Act 1 and the Avistym that happens after in Act 2. Pegastym happening after Avistym according to Act 3 and Act 4 with Wyrmstym. I haven't seen any other months so it's safe to assume I have a general idea on how the calendars work in this game. So no leap year in this timeline so far, since leap year only happens every 4 years.**

 **Well, the salt I got from my unlikely muse has been astronomical. So I shall write another story about my couple, all in the hopes of making them angrier. At this point, I don't even feel bad anymore. The shits and giggles I get from this is beautiful. This ship is really on the saltiest sea.**

 **Also, I have drawn the cover art for this story. I hope you hate it, FanficLovingPerson, or as I know you better, SharenatheAskrPrincess.**


	2. Flostym 10, 401 VC

**AN: So, did you guys know that because you write something that someone doesn't like, you should kill yourself? I didn't know that. Guess I should go and buy some bleach then. :P**

 **AAHB:** Thanks for reading! I hope I can really expand not just with Faye but with as many characters as I can. **Guest1:** Yeah, I know about that. But so far, Faye and quite a few Shadows of Valentia characters haven't been added to the character list yet. And I didn't just want to leave the character list with just Alm, since the pairing is Alm and Faye. As soon as the names are added, I'll be switching them over. Ok? **Mon Cri:** Thank you! I really want to try and make this a story that you can read without needing to play the game. **Cormag Ravenstaff:** I love this time setting, so it would make sense to bring up these themes. Religion is huge part of the Medieval setting, since the church was the biggest driving force of that time. But I would like to go over the class system a bit more than the game does. You got your wish, though.

 **~*…*~** \- This separates religious stuff

… ***…** \- **Will separate otherwise… Disturbing content. Let's just say I expanded on a scene or two of the game.**

…

 **Blossoms and Vines**

…

 _ **Flostym, 10, 401 V.C.**_

…

They had tried to sneak past the group of bandits, but after hearing how they had a girl captive in their base, Alm had blown their cover and had thrown them into battle. She cares for him so dearly, but this moment makes her feel… angry.

She doesn't want to be angry, but she can't help it. She wanted to listen to Lukas and just sneak past the group and continue forward to the Southern Outpost. But now she must fight; she doesn't want to fight.

She just wants to make sure Alm is safe, not kill even more people. She's already killed five people, she doesn't want to kill any more of them! She's already dirty enough, she doesn't want to dirty herself even more!

So even though they are fighting in such dire circumstances, she still fought.

They were darting through the trees, dodging arrows and trying to keep together. Gray and Tobin had flanked the group, her and Kliff in the middle with Alm and Lukas in the front, spear-heading the attack. Of course Alm would be in the front. Just like how he blew their cover, just like how…

She had been shocked from her thoughts when another bandit had come into her view, right from the corner of her eye. She was the only one to see them start their creep towards the group. She turned to alert Gray, but he was already in a fight against a bandit, same with Tobin. Kliff was assisting Tobin with Lukas fighting two bandits on his own and Alm somewhere out of sight.

She gulped as she turned to the bandit, her hands gripping her sword tightly as she stood there, shaking in her boots. The bandit came into view and smirked at her, twirling his axe in hand. "Well, well, well… Look what we has here…" He licked his lips as his eyes raked over her, causing her to start to hyper ventilate, her hands turning white over her sword.

"Poor little lass, don't worry. I'll take care of ye…" He made his way closer, making Faye shiver as she took a few steps away from him.

It had been easier the other times, since she had her friends helping her. Gray either was helping with the most damage and her with the finishing blow. Or Alm as he let her take down the enemies, sometime even Lukas. But now it was just her, everyone else either not there or fighting on their own. She gulped again, keeping her mouth a hard line.

"Ye… You'll do nicely. A little thing like you, can tell you'd be lots o' fun." As soon as the words were gone from his lips, he dashed forward to attack. She yelped as she dodged the attack and forced her hands to slash her sword along his arm, making him stop to hiss in pain. He placed a dirty hand on his bicep, feeling the blood already coming out. He growled in anger, his eyes shining in rage. "You little bitch! That's it! I'm not keeping you alive!" He roared as he charged again, "I don't need you alive to take what I want!"

Faye screamed as she felt his hand wrap around her neck, closing her scream and causing her to choke on his hand. Her hands shook, refusing to let go of the sword they were holding, even as he slammed her into the ground, adding more force to her neck as his other grabbed the sword in her hands and threw it away.

She gasped when suddenly her neck didn't have the pressure there any longer, the bandit grabbed and slash by the sword of Alm. He stood in front of her, his sword stance solid as the bandit that was hurting her stumbled again, his body having gained another gash. He spat to the ground, his stance wasn't as solid as Alm's, making him stumble just a bit.

"-get up! You can't stay on the ground Faye!" She blinked as the words of Alm came to her mind, making her snap back to reality. She looked around, finding her sword throw only a short way away from her. She shakily got to her feet, though her mind was reeling.

… ***…**

" _Stop it! Let me go!" She cried, her little arms struggling against the vice grip of the much larger and full-grown man, wearing the armor of the Zofian Knights._

 _He smiled down at her, something sinister behind those eyes as she felt his eyes all over her form. "Heh…" He chuckled, his gaze leaving her body as he turned to the knight behind him, riding a colossal beast of a horse. "Look's like our luck's picked up, eh Sir Slayde?"_

 _She let tears run down her face as she gazed up at them, her tiny hands and arms unable to break their hold. She whimpered, unable to process the true meaning of the soldier's next words. He licked his lips, looking back down at her as he spoke again. "After days of the same old trees, such cherubic faces are welcome indeed! After all, where little brats play, we'll find a village I say!"_

 _Slayde had moved forward, his words cutting through the air. "Listen well, you whelps. My men and I, loyal knights in service to His Majesty King Lima IV-" he cut off and quickly added a, "-may the powers bless him and his name until the end of days-" with a quick motioning of his hands as he seemed to gently touch his shoulders, middle of his chest and the middle of his forehead. "-hereby command you to lead us to your miserable line of hovels, where you shall have the honor of dining us and otherwise providing…" He looked at her too, alongside with the soldier holding her as the soldier's free hand had stabbed his lance into the ground and was now stroking her face and hair. "…all comforts."_

 _She closed her eyes, not liking the slimy feeling inside her that was screaming about his hands. "The Mother sure does provide for us…" Slayde spoke. She whimpered, trying to get herself farther away from him. This caused the soldier and Slayde to laugh out loud, "It shall be an evening to remember! So lead on! And make haste now."_

 _Another soldier had a hold on the collars of Tobin and Kliff's tunics, his face having a wide grin on his face as he gazed at them. "B-but we can't… We'll get the scolding of our lives if we bring strangers to the village!" Tobin yelped as the face of the soldier holding them edged closer to them, breathing in their scent._

 _Little Gray attempted to use silky words and tried to deter them away from their small, unimportant and not too comfortable home… To no avail._

 _Slayde looked down at the boy, his manners too good. He must have a very attentive mother or… "You. Boy." He spoke, "Have you an older sister?"_

 _Gray blinked, "Uh, me? I have two actually-" Slayde and the last soldier looked overjoyed, since the last preferred elder women than what his other two subordinates had their fetishes for. Slayde was happy with either, as long as they were maidens. "W-what about 'em?"_

 _They laughed, Slayde speaking again. "That'll suffice! We'll take all the food and drink you can muster! Along with your sisters, they shall serve it and us!" He sneered as he watched his two other men with their… different tastes. The two boys were crying and the girl was hysterical at this point. "I wager we'll get naught but pig feed and horse piss, but so be it. I shall force it down if I must."_

 _Gray had growled to himself, but Kliff and Faye were beyond terrified at this point. Is it because they are much smaller than the rest of the group? Are they too weak…?_

 _Soon, Gray and Tobin had been having a whispered argument while Kliff shook in place. He was smaller than most boys and sometimes most adults mistook him for a girl at times. Gray had been angrily muttering to himself before Slayde finally growled at them._

" _Enough chittering, little squirrels. I am not a patient man." He sighed and spoke again. "If you do not wish to entertain us the one way, you can entertain us the other. Perhaps we shall remove your tiny heads from your shoulders one…by…" He gave a look at his 'different' men, making them scowl as they realized that they might not have their little prizes. "One."_

 _This caused panic through the children, especially when Faye was the first one they threatened. She screamed, crying out a, "NO!"_

 _Soon, Alm had arrived at the scene yelling at the knights to let them go, Celica close behind him. Slayde griped about the number of children there which Alm had stood up and told them that they weren't going to step one foot in the village._

" _Is that so?" He chuckled, "Someone neglected to teach this mangy pup any manners…" He trailed off, his eyes landing on Celica which caused her to gasp in fear. "You there! Girl! Show me your face." When Celica didn't move, Slayde had drawn his lance and pointed it in their direction, causing her to gasp in shock when a sharp glint of light hit her in her eyes. He had been surprised to see Celica and soon commanded the soldiers to let go of their prizes and seize Celica. Faye had been dropped to the ground harshly as the soldier holding her had grabbed Celica, causing Alm to punch them in the face._

 _Slayde widened his eyes at Alm, his calm composure melting away as his anger caused him to shake. "You_ _ **dare**_ _raise a hand to us!? To me!?" He growled as he turned fully to Alm, Faye on the ground whimpering to herself. "You_ _ **baseborn… barn-bred-**_ _" He took a breath as his face was now stoic. "So be it. You will stave off your death sentences no longer-" He pointed at Alm, "-especially_ _ **you**_ _!"_

 _Alm took a step back, his eyes wide with fear as Slayde made a step towards him, the children around Alm shaking in their spots, not believing that their deaths were going to be that day. Celica was still in the hold of the soldier as he watched, seemingly engrossed with the idea of children being slaughtered. "The Mother can't save you now, brat!"_

 _Celica struggled against the soldier, crying out to Alm as Slayde got closer to him. Faye reached a hand out to Alm, her mouth hanging open as horror etched itself on her face, matching Celica._

 _Not even when Mycen had charged through the woods and towards the conflict, did the children calm themselves. Mycen had cut the head off of the soldier holding Celica, his blood getting on her dress. She screamed in fright and stepping away from the body, Gray, Tobin and Kliff huddling around her as Mycen seemed to square off with Slayde._

 _Mycen turned to them and ordered them to run to the cemetery, and to be quick about it. The group of four behind Alm started to run for their lives, Faye being helped up by Alm when he saw Celica running off with the boys, (or the boys helping her run, whichever happened, happened)._

 _Faye stood up, holding onto Alm's birth marked hand as they ran, Faye crying in fright. They met up with the rest of the kids, Kliff bawling uncontrollably as Gray and Tobin took deep breaths to calm themselves from the situation, though failing._

 _What happened next was a blur, a blur of adrenaline. Mycen was fighting the soldiers and Slayde who followed the kids into the Cemetery. But one soldier broke through, the same one who had been holding Kliff and Tobin. He sprinted towards them, the kids having been given knives by Mycen who had told them to follow his orders and find places to hide._

 _The graves had tripped the soldier and caused something to happen to the children. The first to attack had been Kliff, his face covered in tears and eyes blazing with an unhinged anger. His knife had be thrust back and slammed into the soldier's arm, causing the solider to roar in anger. Tobin followed Kliff, since the two of them had been held by this man, made uncomfortable by this man… The two of them started to stab him, which made Faye cry. She cried as she watched this happen, but something inside of her broke as well. This man did the same to Tobin and Kliff like the other had done to her._

 _She was scared, angry and confused. So soon, she slowly made her way to them, slowly picking up speed until she was sprinting at him and joined their flurry of stabs, her own meting flesh as she screamed in anger, Kliff having a smile grow on his face as Tobin's eyes seemed blank as he mechanically stabbed the soldier over and over again. Gray and Alm joined in, thinking that the twitch of the soldier's arm was sign that he was going to hurt their friends._

 _Those five children attacked him, over and over and over and ov_ _ **er and over and over and over anD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OV-**_

… ***…**

"FAYE!"

She stopped, her eyes refocusing as her mind was brought back to the present. She was on top of a dead bandit, her arms bloody and dress ruined as she held her sword in both her hands. The sword in her stilled hands was taken from her as her vision landed on the body she sat on, it didn't look like a man now.

She let her mouth hang open as she was shaken gently by someone, she didn't check who. She just could not stop looking at the now deformed face of the man she sat on. When she did tear herself away from the man, it was only to gaze at the trail she made behind her. She slowly turned to behind her, seeing the path of destruction behind her. Bodies, blood… She shook, her eyes filling with tears as they started to fall down her face. She let out a choked sob as she took in her work.

Nine people are dead because of her. One for her past, four for her last battle, and now another four in her blood rage.

She is dirty.

"Faye…?" He spoke, the voice beside her. It was Alm. She turned to Alm, her tears big and fat as they rolled down her cheeks. His face wasn't clear to her, her haze of tears hiding the expression on his face. Though she was glad, for if the expression was one of fear, anger or anything close to that…

"…why…?" She asked as she gripped her dress in her hands, even more blood on it. Why did this happen? Why did Alm get their attention? Why did she kill more? Why is she so dirty?

"…Mila… Mother forgive me…"

…

She just walked forward, no source of water near the group so she stayed in the gore that covered her. She didn't wipe her face yet so the blood and tears were still on her face, yet she felt nothing in those moments. She tried to ignore their eyes, ignore their whispers. Why was she the one to snap like this first?

And why were **they** judging her? Didn't they kill more people? Lukas must have killed more than them combined since he's already a knight. She doesn't want them to look at her, she didn't sign up for this! She signed up to make sure Alm was safe, not kill people… Not kill people in such gruesome… She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and continuing forward, following the party as they made their way into a cave that was the hideout of the bandits they-

 **She** killed.

She killed them. It was her. She killed them and was walking around in their gore. She followed them obediently, crouching and staying still when they did and hurrying her steps when they did. She was too lost in her own thoughts to do much except follow them and watch them when they fought in the hideout.

She couldn't lift her sword.

They soon found a storeroom, they were all looking through crates and barrels for weapons, armor, anything to help. Lukas had handed her a full water skin and cloth, making her grab them without question. She didn't actually use them until he told her to clean herself.

She poured the water on herself and wiped away as much of the gore on her skin as possible. She did stop when she heard Gray and Tobin whispering to each other.

"Good thing she's cleaning up. Though it was kind of handy, those bandits all thought she was some terror that wandered in."

Gray had been about to say something back when she exploded in anger at them. "Well, I'm sorry! Too bad your _**terror**_ is going away! Now you'll have to actually work for your fights!" She growled and threw the cloth at them, making them squeak in fright at her angry face. "Enough! I don't want to hear about your jokes, or anything about what happened! Got it!?"

She watched them, her angry breathing echoing through the storeroom. Alm and Lukas could only watch as Gray and Tobin had sheepishly apologized to her. Kliff only watched in mild interest. She nodded and soon was back to her thoughts.

Soon, Kliff was beside her and holding a material in his hands. It was a dress. "Here. I found a dress for you." She stared at it, looking up at him after a minute or two. "I recognize some of the crates here. They have been looting trade routes, so of course we'll find random items here." He spoke as he gave her the dress. "I'm not going to judge you."

She blinked at Kliff before he turned around and went back to going through crates. She sighed and looked down at her own dress and grimaced at the way it looked. There was no salvaging it. She sighed and started to undress right there, too tired for any kind of propriety. Though the men did as they all caught sight of her and quickly averted their gazes, some covering their heads with empty sacks to give her privacy.

Soon she was dressed, this dress was a bit longer than her old one, but this was fixed by attaching one part to the belt. She blinked as she looked around the storeroom, the men all looking away and some looking quite silly with sacks on their heads. She blushed as she realized why they did this, surprised at her own lack of propriety in that moment. Oh, her mother would tan her hide like a young child if she knew…

Oh, her mother and father would do so much worse if they knew what else she has done. This dampened her mood as she cleared her throat, making them nod their heads in acknowledgement.

Soon, they left the storeroom and made their way into the inner sanctum of the hideout, coming face to face with the bandit boss and the young woman at his feet. A battle had been fought then and there, the men fighting and Faye sneaking around the fight to get to the woman.

When Faye reached her, she shook her as she tried to wake her from whatever kept her still. Soon, the young woman woke as Faye was brushing her short light blue hair from her face. She sputtered for a moment before Faye shushed her, dragging her away from the fight and to hide behind the Statue of Mila.

The two of them huddled behind the statue, waiting for the fight to be over. Though, Faye was only there to make sure she didn't have to fight again. She didn't want a repeat of earlier that day.

Soon, there were no ore sounds of battle, only the sounds of blades going through the bodies one last time. Faye, for a moment, thought that her friends had lost the battle. But soon this was dashed when she heard the sound of Alm calling out for them. She poked her head out from behind the statue and ignored the bodies around the area.

"Good, you're safe. Do you have the girl with you?" He asked.

The girl behind her nodded and spoke. "I am fine. Thank you, for saving me." She curtsied and soon stood before them. "My name is Silque, and I am a Sister of the Novis Priory."

Faye at first didn't mind the girl, but now she was on edge. A servant of the Mother? What if she found out what she did? Would she denounce her? Would she proclaim to the Mother that she was no fit for the Faith? She averted her gaze from Silque and worried about the piece of lint on her dress instead.

Everyone else had introduced themselves and soon Gray was speaking to her, asking why she was so far from the priory. She soon spoke about her mission to find Sir Mycen, which made Alm speak up.

"Your… Grandfather?" She asked, sounding unsure. She then gasped and asked to see his hand, which had been ungloved at the moment as he stretched out the appendages; she saw the mark.

Alm had spoken about how a girl in the village had one too which caused Silque to mutter to herself before giving Alm a small trinket. "It has a piece of power from Mila herself, and should be helpful in your journey."

Alm had thanked her for the gift before suddenly grabbing his head and letting out a scream. He took a step back before getting stopped by Lukas who stood behind him. Silque went up to him and calmed him. "I… I saw…" He spoke, unsure of what he saw.

"What you saw was not the present, just a vision. The Mother is either telling you what could be… Or what once was. Her power is sight."

Alm looked conflicted, his hand closing around the trinket. "So the vision is something that's going to happen…?"

"Something that _**could**_ happen." She corrected. She paused then looked thoughtful, "If the vision was ill-boding, perhaps it was a sign… a sign that the Mother wishes for you to take action in order to prevent it."

Alm stayed silent as he pocketed the trinket, his shifting posture and stiff shoulders saying so much. "Thank you, Sister Silque. Will you need passage to someplace safer?"

Silque cleared her throat, then spoke. "Sir Alm… In my travels, I have witnessed the sorry state of our kingdom. To be honest, it was a shock and anyone inside the Novis Priory would be shocked as well. We might have been quite sheltered from the horrors of the land, even with the refugees coming to the island…" She shook her head, letting an exhausted sigh leave her lips. "With no goddess to bless them and no king to rule, most Zofians are at a loss. And I, for one, refuse to stand by and watch them suffer!" She stood up straight, looking Alm straight in the eyes, "I would ask for permission to accompany you on your quest!"

Alm blinked as he looked at her, the rest of the men impressed she had made the journey from Novis Island, travelled across Zofia and asked to join their group just to help others. Faye had been impressed as well, though she knew deep down it's what any devoted member of the Faith would do. It's still better than her unspoken reason of joining.

"If you are willing to help, then I don't see anything wrong with it. Sister Silque, it would be an honor to have you among us!" Alm spoke as he bowed before her. He knew her class outranks them all by miles, so he had to be polite.

She only smiled in return.

 **~*…*~**

They had decided to stay in the back area of the cave, since by the time they left the cave it was already too late to make camp and find food. So even though they had to stay among the bodies of the dead (after moving them to a farther place from them) they had food and shelter for the night.

After everyone had gone to sleep, Faye had snuck away from the group and gone to the Statue of Mila. Now that she had the chance to really look at it, she could see the graffiti that littered the statue and the trash around it. That's where she found Silque, tending to the shrine instead of getting sleep.

"Oh… I didn't know anyone else was awake." Faye spoke as Silque continued to wash the statue.

Silque stopped for only a moment to nod at Faye before going back to her work. "Good evening, milady. What brings you up at this hour?"

Faye humorlessly laughed at that, "I'm definitely no lady. Just a simple peasant."

"Even still."

Faye watched her work, her eyes going to the Mother and seeing the crude words and drawings all over it. She sighed and soon grabbed a cloth and helped Silque with her work. Silque had given her a smile as she joined and the two of them worked to scrub the marks off of the statue.

They worked for a few hours, the two silently and diligently working to get Mila back to a good shine. Soon Silque spoke again, "So how long have you been a part of the Faith?"

Faye glanced at her before working on getting a hard stain off of the statue. "My whole family has been devoted for as long as we remember. I never had formal training, but I have done my best to remember the Book of Mila as best as I can."

"Can you not read?" Silque asked, no malice in her words.

Faye shook her head, "no. My family never had much, we're just simple farmers. Never had the money to send any of us to school."

Silque hummed as she went back to work.

Soon, Faye spoke up, "The teachings say that the Mother is forgiving, right? That if the person truly wanted to repent, they could… right?"

Silque didn't stop her scrubbing, but she listened.

"Like… If someone did something really horrible in the past and they… Hated it. Could they repent? Could they try and work to make it better? Even if that bad thing is going against one of the commands of the Mother?" Faye spoke, her words stringing together as she grew agitated.

Silque dropped her rag and turned towards the girl beside her, seeing Faye's eyes as she worked. Her eyes were wide and had a certain look in them that showed the distress her face would not show. "If the person truly wishes to repent and change… Then the Mother would want that person to work as a servant of her wishes."

Faye clenched the rag tightly, "is it really that simple? Can someone actually just go against one of the Mother's commands and work for their repent? Especially since they have gone against the commands _**nine**_ times!?"

Silque stayed silent.

Faye took a few breaths, not wanting tears to fall again. "Is the Mother that forgiving?"

"The Mother forgives all her children, as long as they truly wish to repent and are willing to spend their lives in her name."

She nodded, eyes going downcast.

"Though you will not be officially a part of the priory, Novis extends their hands towards you, my child."

Faye quickly turned to Silque, "I wasn't-"

Silque only smiled at Faye.

She swallowed and slowly started to nod. "How… How do I…?"

Silque only gently placed her hands on Faye's hands, placing them together in prayer. "Speak to the Mother with your heart, and she will decide if your plight shall be answered."

And so she did. Faye prayed, she prayed for hours into the night, Silque finishing the work and observing her, witnessing the admission.

It was hours later when Faye felt the hands of the Mother upon her, a voice telling her that she had been accepted. She could feel the weight on her soul lifted, a covenant forged between her and the Mother. She knew what she was going to do.

"It seems the Mother has accepted your confession and welcomed you into the Faith." Silque kneeled next to Faye, her own hands coming together in prayer.

"Hail Mila, full of grace,

Our Mother and protector,

Blessed art thou among us all,

and blessed is the gifts upon your children,

Holy Mother, great provider,

pray for us children,

now and at the last hours.

Amen."

Faye echoed the prayer with Silque as she pulled a leather hoop with many wooden beads on it. "We shall start with your training with the Mother's covenant. Every day, we shall pray the whole line of prayers. This is the first step in your training to becoming a sister of Novis."

Faye nodded, "will this…?" She dropped her voice, letting the implication hang in the air.

Silque nodded, "it is the first step in repenting your sins. I will teach you to read, write and to study the Book of Mila in depth. If you show promise, you will be blessed with gifts from the Mother. It is long work…" She trailed off.

Faye only nodded. "I want to do this. I want to repent."

Silque nodded. "Good. The wee hours of the morning are already upon us, we shall continue until the other wake."

 **~*…*~**

 **AN: Did I go too far? At least it didn't actually get to that point, just words and intentions. The game does say that followers of Mila do tend to go towards depravity. King Lima IV had a harem of wives and** **forced** **a few to be a part of them and have his children. So, if the king does this, why not have a few people share their own depravities?**


End file.
